The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-10-27
THE TRAMP PROBLEM.
Magnitude of the Evil in Towns Near Roch
ester, n. Y.

1.-The trouble which people exper,
lence from the tramps that infest the
outskirts OF Rochester is nothing to
what the country people have to en-
dure, said farmer to a Post Express
reporter They pass through our
town IN swarms. / think that Pernon
must be the state headquarters for the
tramp fraternity. Our wives and
daughters are in constant danger from
| their bold lawlessness. During the
summer the former are of necessity
much alone, and hence the danger is
all the greater. In my own case, as
the house is some distance from any
other habitation, we seem to receive
more than our share of attention from
| the critters. Hardly a day passes,
summer or winter, but one or two ap.
pear at our door and demand food or
shelter. Since the Stone tragedy, our
| people retire within doors whenever
they see stranger approaching. 1t
seems to me that now is as good time
as any to see if something can not be
| done to abate this nuisance. Anyone
who will attempt it may be assured of
hearty cooperation from every farmer
in the State"
County Superintendent McGoneeal
said to the reporter: s'Would you be.
lieve that Monroe county alone pays
nearly 1000 per year toward foster
ing and increasing this tramp nui-
sance? Strange as it may appear.
| such is the case. Last year 2,184
tramps were given food and nights
lodging at the various poor-houses
| throughout the county.
''They came along in droves," eo~
tinued the uperintendent -
times as many as dozen some
once. They know or twenty al
| They will mst~ "heh 10 Apply.
| snS and II o'clock in the evening,
IL demand food and shelter. In the
summer, of course, it is refused them.
but during the cold winter it is taking
quite responsibility to refuse to
shield man from the cold and snow.
Then if the poormaster does refuse to
harbor the tramps, he is sure to hear
from it; for the fellows Immediately 90
to the farmhouses and ask to be al
lowed to sleep in the barns, saving
that they have been refused shelter at
the poor office. Then the people make
a fuss and come down upon the over
seer. If | should order the poormas-
tiers to refuse to receive these tramps,
and one of them should be found cold
and stiff by the roadside | would be
placed in an unpleasant position, for |
should then be morally, if not legally,
responsible for that mans death. Yet
the course at present pursued is foster
ing tremendous evil upon the COM
murity. The nuisance is increasing
every year. The figures for 1887
| have not yet been made out, but there
| is every indication that they will equal
If not exceed those already given. AL
most all Of these tramps are able
bodied men, and if they do not work
it is because they find a life of travel,
adventure, and perhaps of crime more
pleasant and exciting than any other.
If they were refused support or assist
ance it would soon kill the trampine
business. Several years ago they
seemed to make the pOor-houses here
their headquarters. put stop to it,
and you observe that but IS were shell
.ered here during 1886. l remember
the night when | made the first move
to make them cease coming here. 1t
was warm spring evening when |
went up to the almshouse, and asked
the man in charge how many he had
already taken in. 1t was only o'clock
but twenty of them had been admitted
called them out and tofd them that
we were going to stop receiving them.
While | was talking five more came,
and as the gang were going over the
hill we saw them meet half a dozen
more. They stopped and talked with
them minute and they also turned
bacl:. Well, sir, in a week they stopped
coming altogether and we now only
take them in in extreme cases.
alt seems to me-" continued Mr..
McGonegal, "that public sentiment is
ripe for revival of a movement
started ten years ago. 1 introduced
bill into the legislature through our
assemblyman providing that every
able-bodied tramp who applied at the
| poor-houses of the State for shelter
| should be arrested and set to work in
the penitentiary. 1t was defeated
then as too harsh a measure, but in
| the light of recent events it seems tc
me that our lawmakers would not now
take the same view of it. There is no
| question about it. The tramp busi-
ness must be stopped in one way or
another. 1t is growing evil and un-
| less uprooted may result in worse con-
| sequences than it has yet involved.
This tramp army must be suppressed,
and | know from a long experience
with the fraternity that no gentle or
halfway measures will accomplish
| this result"